Saturday, June 10, 2017

1947 - A DOUBLE LIFE, the kind of stuff they give awards out for.

A famous actor goes nuts while appearing in Othello and can't separate reality from his performance in the play.

Ronald Coleman a popular actor during the 1930's and 40's with a melodious voice is the actor. The script was by Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin so the theatrical backgrounds are well established. The film was well directed by George Cukor who was known for getting good performances out of actors.

The problem with this film is that it is just plain dumb. Coleman rolls his eyes and breaks out into a sweat as he descends into madness. The fact that no one seems to notice he is off his rocker until about the last 20 minutes of the film is really ridiculous.

This is the kind of stuff people win Academy Awards for. Lots of hysterics from the leading man. A musical score that borders on the melodramatic from Miklos Rosza and of course a death scene to make sure everyone in the audience knows what great acting they are watching.